442 Wild Sheep and Cicada. [No. 100. 



from Kandahar, where not a tree is to be seen, or a shrub, ex- 

 cepting the jewassee, which grows in luxuriance, and a few 

 tamarisk bushes, I discovered three larger species of Tettigonia, 

 and fully as abundant as any flight of locusts I had ever seen. 

 The prevailing colour was a deep orange, and the stems and 

 branches of the tamarisk were covered with them, as hardly to 

 be able to distinguish a particle of green, and their noise all 

 day was unceasing. The jewassee bushes being at the same time 

 covered with the empty scales of the pupae, and shewing at once 

 that these insects were bred on the spot : otherwise I should have 

 conceived they were only migrating. Our tents and tent ropes, 

 as soon as pitched, were covered by these insects, in fact every 

 thing looked yellow. They continued in equal numbers for 

 several days march through the Ghiljie country, and I saw in 

 all eight or nine different species. One scarce variety I dis- 

 covered with pink wings, and another, far less active in flight, 

 appeared upon the ripe ears of corn, and immediately they were 

 approached made a heavy flight for a yard or two and fell to the 

 foot of the corn, not again lighting upon the heads. The wings 

 of this last species have not the transparency that all the others, 

 excepting the pink winged variety, possess. 



Fortunate indeed is it that Providence has formed these 

 insects to live by suction, or their damage to the crops if fur- 

 nished with the jaws of a Locust, would be irreparable : their 

 clinging propensities had, however, entirely deprived some bran- 

 ches of their shoots. 



Now what appeared to me extraordinary was, that these insects 

 should appear in this country, where there are apparently no 

 birds or animals to feed upon them. Locusts where they appear 

 in vast numbers, as in Africa, always have their destroyers fol- 

 lowing them : but here not a gryllivorous bird was to be seen, 

 not even the Vesper tilionida to disturb them at night. The only 

 enemies they appeared to have, were some large Libellulce, which 

 pounced upon them, and carried off what appeared to be double 

 their own weight. 



